Shiboritate Matsuri at Monzen-Nakacho

'Tis the season for the season's first sake, as breweries around the country have just finished bottling their shinshu ('new sake'), the non-pasteurised, unmatured kind of nihonshu that packs much more of a punch than most standard varieties. Now's your chance to sample it in a no-frills downtown atmosphere, as sake festival specialists Kurand are putting on an afternoon show around Fukagawa's Monzen-Nakacho: in addition to the free-flowing shinshu from six breweries, participating restaurants serve up appetisers for ¥300-¥500 a pop – think everything from seafood to skewers. Note that you'll need to book in advance to participate, and with only 300 tickets available in total, we recommend making a reservation right now.